First Nations Forestry Archives

Cariboo Chilcotin Forestry Leaders Unite Around Regional Solutions

More than 60 forestry, Indigenous, government and economic development leaders gathered in Williams Lake on July 23 for the Cariboo Chilcotin Forestry Forum, hosted by the City of Williams Lake. The forum focused on practical solutions to strengthen the region’s forest economy, support sustainable jobs, improve wildfire resilience and advance long-term forest stewardship. Participants emphasized…

What Canada’s Rural Development Action Plan Consultation Means for Rural British Columbia

The federal government’s recent summary of themes from the Rural Development Action Plan consultation outlines priorities that align closely with many of the challenges and opportunities facing rural British Columbia. Housing, broadband, local economies, health and childcare, climate resilience, Indigenous-led development, and streamlined, place-based funding emerged as top themes, and each presents actionable opportunities for…

The Forest Will Burn

In Canada, forests burn regardless of human presence. In the face of climate changing, natural cycles of forest wildfires are being affected in ways we don’t yet understand. We must therefore prepare our communities as best we can through improved forest management techniques. Besides, utilizing the byproducts from sustainable and responsible forest management techniques –…

Keeping it Clean – Video

The forested watersheds of British Columbia’s Interior are a primary water source for aquatic ecosystems and human populations. The mountain pine beetle (MPB) infestation and associated salvage harvesting have the potential to affect the amount, timing, and quality of water originating from these watersheds. Watch the video on the MPB Hydrological Impacts and Watershed Management…

Getting the most out of B.C.’s challenged wood fibre base

It was in early-2023 when British Columbia Premier David Eby announced the Forest Enterprise Society of B.C. (FESBC) was to receive an additional $50 million in funding for forest enhancement projects in the province. The focus of the funding was to be on creating a higher level of wood utilization for wood fibre and wildfire…

Study on Supply Chain and Community Benefits of the Forest Sector

A new economic study focusing on local communities across BC was released today by the BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI). This study highlights the vital role of British Columbia’s forestry industry, as it touches so many communities across the province and employs British Columbians in a wide array of jobs. In 2022, the forestry…

Facing Fire: Building Resiliency to Wildfire | VIDEO

WILL WE MANAGE FIRE OR WILL FIRE MANAGE US? The question isn’t if fire will happen, but rather when it will strike. Fire is an intrinsic part of our ecosystem’s evolution. For over a century, we’ve believed we knew the best way to tackle wildfire in North America. The mindset that “the only good wildfire…

Wildfire Risk Reduction and Enhanced Fibre Utilization Project Funding

FESBC Welcomes Applications for Wildfire Risk Reduction and Enhanced Fibre Utilization Project Funding Kamloops, B.C. – The Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) continues to accept applications to fund forest enhancement projects, year-round. In the Provincial Government’s Budget 2024, FESBC was entrusted with $60 million in funding; $20 million to be allocated each year over…

Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDIP)

Program Details The Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDIP) is a new grant launched by the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation (JEDI). The Government of B.C. is investing up to $33 million this year to create the Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program, which will support projects that promote the following: Economic diversification…

Agricultural Land Reserve Settles Treaty 8 Claims

First Nations will receive approximately 27,000 acres of protected agricultural land in BC’s Peace Region as a result of settlement agreements addressing their land entitlements claims under Treaty 8, signed in 1899. “For more than 100 years, the First Nations were deprived of the use and benefit of thousands of acres of land owed to…